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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: bark · spell · fan · mouse · band · squash · bowl · race

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  16. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. bark — to shout
  3. race — the arms race
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. squash — to crush
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. race — a contest
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. bark — a dog's sound
  10. band — a music group
  11. spell — magic
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. spell — a short time
  14. band — a ring
  15. mouse — for a computer
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. race — humankind
  20. squash — the sport
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. fan — to cool the air
  24. spell — letters

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com